Allegany, N.Y. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team took on Penn State-Altoona Sunday afternoon, hosting the AMCC rival at St.Bonaventure's Handler Park. The Panthers responded to a Penn State-Altoona rally to take game one 7-5, but fell behind the Lions early in game two, ultimately falling 10-4.

Game One:

The Panthers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning of game one but struggled to add to their advantage and the visitors ultimately tied the game at 5. Pitt-Bradford answered in the 6th and shut the door in the 7th to win the game 7-5.

Collin Porter started the game on the mound for the Panthers and made quick work of the Lions, setting down the side. After an opening pop-up, the Panther offense exploded in the bottom of the first to jump into the lead. Noah Avery started the rally with a single through the left side, and Trent Bielak followed by lining a single into left. Blake Prestash drew a walk to load the bases before AlexColwell opened the scoring with a two-run single to left center. Penn State-Altoona's starter lost his command after the hit, walking Kenny Nickson III, Maxwell Rogers, and Jake Soricone consecutively to bring in two more runs. He was relieved after the third walk. Alex Ognen greeted the new pitcher with a fly ball to deep left field, but it was caught on the warning track, allowing Nickson to score and put the Panthers up 5-0. 

Penn State-Altoona struck back in the 2nd, rallying with two outs to score twice. With one out, he walked a batter and then gave up a single to begin the rally. Porter made an error on a comebacker, continuing the frame before allowing the first run to score on a bases-loaded walk. A second run scored on a sacrifice fly to center before Porter ended the frame with a pop-up. 

The Panthers went down quietly in the 2nd, and then the Lions continued to chip away in the third. The visitors led off with a double and then scored their third run of the game on a diving catch in center by Maxwell Rogers, taking two bases on the sacrifice fly. The Panthers looked to get the run back in the bottom half, as Nickson led off the frame with a double down the left-field line. The rally was shut down quickly, as Nickson was caught out on a fielder's choice and Maxwell Rogers was caught stealing. 

Porter shut down the Lions for the next two innings, retiring six straight batters. In the 6th, Porter walked the leadoff batter and was replaced by Brayden Hageter. Hageter induced one groundout but could not get out of the inning unscathed, allowing a 2-run game-tying home run. He retired the next two batters on a fly ball and a groundout, pushing the game into the bottom of the 6th.

With their lead erased, the Panthers rallied to go back in front. Rogers and Soricone were hit by pitches to start the inning and then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Aiden Zimmerman lined a single into left field to bring in Rogers to give the Panthers the lead. Noah Avey drove in a second run on a sacrifice fly to right before the inning ended on a groundout.

Looking to secure the victory in the 7th, Pitt-Bradford turned to ace Shawn MAnnering to shut the door. Mannering was effective, needing just 9 pitches to retire the side and close out the victory. 

Brayden Hageter (1-1) picked up the victory after allowing 1 run on 1 hit in 1 inning of work. Collin Porter received a no-decision despite 5.0 strong innings on the hill. He allowed 4 runs, 2 earned, on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Shawn Mannering earned a save with a scoreless 7th, his first of the season. Aiden Zimmerman finished 1 for 4 while driving in the winning run. Trent Bielak recorded a multihit game, finishing 2 for 3 with a walk, while Alex Colwell was 1 for 3 with a two-run single.

Game Two:

In game two, the Panthers fell behind 5-1 early. They cut the deficit to one run, but never caught up to the Lions, and eventually lost 10-4.

Joe Long took the mound for Pitt-Bradford to begin the game. He struck out the leadoff batter, but then fell behind, allowing a solo home run to left. The Lions continued to rally after the long ball, loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk. Long ended the inning quickly, inducing a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning trailing by one. The deficit didn't last long, as Aiden Zimmerman led off the bottom of the first with a home run to left field. It was the first home run of Zimmerman's collegiate career.

 Long set down the side in the 2nd, and the Panthers looked to take the lead in the bottom of the frame. Alex Colwell led off with a single but was picked off by the lefthanded pitcher during the next at-bat. The pickoff had an impact on the inning, as Rogers followed with a double, which may have scored the go-ahead run. With two outs, Alex Ognen grounded a single through the left side, but the Panthers left the runners stranded as the inning ended on a pop-up to third. 

The Lions took the momentum from the stop in the 2nd to go back in front in the third. They scored twice, using a triple and two doubles to go ahead 3-1. They shut down the Panthers in the bottom half and then used a two-out double to left to score two more in the 4th and double their advantage. Pitt-Bradford was able to strike back with one run in the 4th. Rogers beat out an infield single with two outs and moved up to second on the throw across the infield, which crept out of play. Logan McConnell followed with a line drive into left, allowing Rogers to round third and score. 

Ethan Zimmerman replaced Long to start the 5th and worked around a leadoff walk to keep the deficit at three. In the bottom half, Soricone dropped down a bunt single but was caught trying to steal a bag on a dropped third strike. Noah Avey was hit by a pitch to continue the inning before Trent Bielak crushed a no-doubt 2-run home run to left field cutting the Penn State-Altoona lead to one. It was his team-leading 5th home run of the season. 

The Lions got one of the runs back in the 6th, using three hits to score. They tacked on another in the 7th off of Zimmerman, taking advantage of a throwing error by the left-hander to score with a two-out single. Maddox Stadler replaced Zimmerman after the hit and induced a fly out to right to end the inning.

In the 8th, Stadler allowed the Lions to load the bases, but nearly for out of the frame with a fielder's choice grounder and a strikeout. During the next at-bat, he uncorked a pair of wild pitches, which allowed two more runs to score. In the bottom half of the frame, Pitt-Bradford put a pair of runners on with a Colwell single and an error, but the inning came to a quick end with a strikeout and a fly ball to left. 

Branson Scarantine replaced Stadler to begin the 9th and retired the first two batters he faced. He induced another ground ball with two down, but a fielding error continued the inning. The error was followed by a stolen base and a double, pushing the deficit to 6. Scarantine finished the inning a batter later with a groundout. Jake Soricone led off the bottom of the frame with a single, but the next three Panthers were retired to end the game.

Joe Long (2-2) picked up the loss after allowing 5 earned runs on 7 hits. he struck out 3. Ethan Zimmerman pitched 2.2 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, on 5 hits and a walk. He also struck out three. Maddox Stadler pitched 1.1 innings with 2 runs allowed and 2 ks, while Vranson Scarantine pitched the last inning, allowing one unearned run. Trent Bielak and Aiden Zimmerman both went 1-5 in the loss with a home run. Alex Colwell, Maxwell Rogers, and Jake Soricone all finished 2 for 4. 

The split doubleheader leaves the Panthers at 12-12 on the season, with a 2-6 record in AMCC play. They will be back in action on Tuesday, when they travel to Buffalo to take on Hilbert.